War Bride
by thislilchicken
Summary: Ever-feisty Taiwan has always been tossed back and forth between two powerful men, Japan and China. What is she to them? A little sister? A future bride in training? Are they in it for her or for themselves? From Japanese Occupation and onwards to 2010.
1. Meeting Big Brother

_**Update**_:** ARGH. SO MUCH STUDYING TO DO.** To all my readers, people who have fav'd and reviewed, thank you so so so much for all of your feedback and encouragement. I haven't forgotten about** War Bride**, and I promise that when I can I will get working on the 4th chapter. Part of it is written, the rest is in my mind, it's just up to me and my schedule to let me sit down and write it all out. Once again, thank you to everyone who has shown interest in the story. I haven't forgotten about you, so please don't give up on me!

I do not claim ownership of Hetalia or any of the characters. The following is based on history but with my interpretation of the events. _**Constructive feedback is greatly appreciated**_, even if it is just to say that you **didn't like** the characterization and style of writing, and why. I'm new to writing fiction, and I feel lost as to whether or not this is good or bad characterization and plot pacing. 多謝！

_**Note**_: If you're looking for outright bashing about how horrible either Japan or China was, this is** not** the place for it. I will try my best to be true to events while showing the other side of it; good always comes with the bad. If you only want to read about how Japan was a heartless whore-monger or China was an abusive, possessive asshole, then please redirect yourself to such a fic. I am only trying to tell a story from the point of view from a flawed, naive young girl (later woman) who through harsh experiences is able to open her eyes.

* * *

"Mei mei," said the bandaged and limping man, interrupting the young girl who was trying to fish. She looked exactly the same as the last he'd seen her, whenever _that_ was. She turned and politely pretended to be surprised and pleased at seeing her negligent older brother. He ordinarily would not be bothered, yet today it successfully tore to shreds what Japan had started. No, it had started even earlier than that; he hadn't though that Taiwan would be going the way of little Hong Kong so soon. "Mei, Japan and I had an argument. We've decided that you will now live in his house from now on, so please pack your things."

Taiwan shrugged it off without caring too much once she got word that China, that hulking, antiquated beast, had been felled by the upstart Japan. Supposedly one had taken a sword to the other's back, and left a permanent memento of their agreement to disagree. These were but hollow names to her, meaningless events that would not affect her in the slightest. Nothing ever did. Taiwan was a small island in the middle of nowhere that contributed nothing to anyone. The far off and strange-sounding countries that China had recently been plagued by probably did not even know she existed. She supposed China expected her to put on an elaborate display of fury, grief, and shame at being traded off to the victor as though she were a whore. Perhaps he wanted the young girl to throw tantrums and demand with her tears to be returned to the older brother she never really knew, never really interacted with enough to care about.

In fact, even China's own clumsy conquest and declaration of guardianship over her did not result in much. He had simply come to her country one day, and violently ejected the Dutch and Spanish traders. In the middle of his victorious gesturing, he had suddenly remembered about the little girl whose island he had just invaded. She had been standing quietly and watching from the edges of the rainforest. Her clear and powerful stare, that of an innocent's, evoked feelings of guilt and slight shame. Certainly, it was enough to make China content to leave her alone and let her figure out her own business. And so she had grown for 200 years with little aim and direction, making things happen solely by virtue of her fiery, feisty temper.

Even as the provisions of the Treaty of Shomonoseki was read aloud to her, Taiwan said nothing. Most likely, China had successfully forgotten about his impulse adoption until out of the blue, Japan decided to take over his role. And even then, Japan probably did it to spite him. As far as she was concerned, her aloof big brother had been replaced by one that would be as equally neglectful. After all, she thought to herself, she was no Hong Kong, who was valuable enough as a port for trading to be seized by the United Kingdom. Funny, she had almost been envious in a sick way that someone wanted to care for Hong Kong enough that he fought China for guardianship of the boy. She thought of the transfer as an adoption, though she would never dare to describe it that way to China.

Looking down at her bare, mud-caked, and calloused feet, she laughed at the nightmare she would be to her next benefactor. That is, if he could find her amongst the rainforested mountains that seemed to overcrowd her island.

* * *

China had asked for her to wash her face and bathe, comb her hair, and for goodness sake put on some shoes for the formal exchange ceremony. Of course, not only did Taiwan fail to do any of those, she had left him standing empty handed and without face in front of Japan. As though the brutal slash in his back did not pain him enough, another of his younger siblings had taken the chance to insult and humiliate him further through disobedience. He shifted on his feet as he struggled to explain away this embarrassment. The two men stood alone and apart, feeling empty without the girl present to complete the picture. There was no victorious gloating for Japan, nor a composed and mature resolution for China. At least, China thought, he would not have to endure the other's displays exacted at the cost of his own dignity.

Japan's thorough disapproval was palpable, even though his expression and manner were as prim and concise as always. His "Well yes, of course. I'll find her myself." hid his thoughts: _How pathetic, to not even have enough authority to ask a little girl to be present. _That was the way the interactions with the Asian countries had always been. Socially appropriate white lies and polite phrases existed to allow them keep up a pretense. It was civilized, it was the way proper individuals conducted themselves.

* * *

Neither knew that Taiwan had taken the chance of wording in the treaty to declare herself independent, and demanded that she be now known as the Taiwan Republic. It was with this high handed attitude that she greeted the weary Japan when he finally tracked her down through her splendid mountains and forests. The lack of roads and mountain tunnels greatly troubled him, and there was not much to be said about the public facilities. He had much to do with this new project, and yet inwardly he beamed with pride that he would have the chance to recreate his own Meiji Restoration. He smiled slightly when he saw the girl, no older than nine or ten standing with her feet apart, arms akimbo and wearing a fierce and proud expression on her face. What was it that Portugal had named her? _'Ilha Formosa'_? Indeed he could see the untamed beauty in even her young features, unless Portugal had been referring to only her home.

He straightened out his starched naval uniform; it was the cleanest clothes Taiwan had yet to see. The uniform was almost blindingly white to her eyes, an actual cotton-white, not an off-white faded with age nor a gray tainted from sweat and field labor. It was almost sterile, and completely impractical. It was a wonder that his clothes had not withered in the oppressive tropical humidity. He did not see her smirk as he gave a polite bow, and launched into his formal welcome. "I am very pleased to meet you. My name is Kiku Honda, and I am now-"

"You can go to hell," the girl said. "China wasn't man enough to handle me, and I can tell just by looking at you that you don't even have any balls to try!"

The resounding slap was not so much brutal or vicious as stinging to her pride. The shocked and awed girl stood with her fingers touching her red cheek, her eyes wide with bewilderment. Now more of a cowering cub than the proud tigress she had imagined herself to be, she did not understand why fat tears were steaming their way down her face. She was even more confused by where the stiff man in white had conjured up the boldness and will to produce that slap. It was the first time anyone had done anything like that to her. Her first brother certainly didn't spank her. Taiwan could not form any words, much less thoughts as Kiku Honda continued.

"I am now your guardian and your new brother, and I am honored to have you as my first little sister. I hope that I can set the example for your progress and development, and that we will be able to understand and respect one another."

"Respect". Taiwan was not sure if she detected a wry tone in that word.

* * *

**Factoid: Although Taiwan was given over to Japan as a colony, the government actually had to send its army down and defeat the Taiwanese guerrilla forces before they could institute rule over the island.

This is ImperialismEra!Kiku, who hasn't been mellowed out yet by his terrible experiences in WW2. As such, he will be somewhat different from his normal portrayal in the series. Throughout this fic, I will preserve his canon personality, but also try to explore how he is different "now" from "back then." Would the Kiku "now" slap a little girl? Absolutely not. Would the militaristic Kiku "then" do that? He's done worse. Please keep that in mind.


	2. Growing Pains

Taiwan, or Wan wan, as she was often called, shifted uncomfortably on her knees. She was not accustomed to sitting the way Japanese women did. In fact, the very few times China had bothered to discipline her, he had told her to kneel so that he would not have to actually see her angry face nor exert real effort in curbing her wild spirit. It did not help that she had been "asked" to adopt Japanese dress. However, after the preview of what Kiku Honda considered discipline, she humored his attempts to civilize her. Wan wan wriggled her toes in the tight white socks she had put on. Contrary to what her old brothers might think, she had some semblance of manners in the presence of a host.

Kiku Honda who was seated opposite the table from her glanced up, ever so slightly, from the report he had been writing. She immediately stopped wiggling herself in any way. After a while, she could no longer resist. "哥哥!*We've both been sitting here for an hour, your knees must be sore and your hand cramped from writing. Please, let's take a stroll around your house," she suggested, her voice dripping with a completely unnatural, cloying sweetness. At least the little girl knew how to pack substance into her flattery.

He didn't look up at her this time. His expression remained somewhat agitated, and the scritch-scratch of his writing continued as it had before Wan wan's sudden outburst. Ever since he had started composing his report, she had not dared to admit that she did not understand the characters he had written. Even the ones written in China's language were complete gibberish to her.

The cicadas outside droned on, drowning out the sounds of all other wildlife. They were a hypnotic and strangely comforting backdrop to the summer afternoon. If she were back on her island, there might be a light, refreshing afternoon shower. It always rained in the summer, sometimes starting at the same time everyday for a week or two. Or perhaps there was a large thunderstorm, or even a monsoon to wash the world clean of irritating mosquitoes for two weeks. The dirt roads were terrible after a hurricane though, and the waterlogged watermelons would be ruined even if they miraculously avoided being washed away. Oh, to be dangling her bare legs into a clear, cold stream, carelessly devouring the potent and sweet watermelons with wild abandon. She would let the juice dribble down her chin and arms, and toss the rinds aside for the rainforest floor to take into itself.

Even Kiku's delicately manicured garden was nature enough to soothe her restlessness.

She perked up the instant she heard the sound of his pen** being placed on the table. "Yes, I fancy a stroll," Kiku murmured, rubbing his temples. He empathized with the girl's radiant expression as she clambered clumsily to her feet, and was well aware that she would have dashed out of the room had she not been still learning to walk while wearing a kimono. It simply would not do for his little sister to continue dressing like a peasant.

The pair walked along the long hallway that encircled his private garden, his meticulously tended personal Eden. Wan wan minced along as best as she could beside him, but she couldn't help but fall slightly behind. What was the point of his abolishing the practice of foot binding if they could barely walk in kimonos as well?

"What did you think of the tour?" she asked, almost anxiously. She had been good and tried to be gracious, really she did, when Kiku made his first official survey of his newest acquisition. He had made short local visits to areas of particular interest in the weeks before, but none had been as thorough and carried out with as much pomp and circumstance as the one he just finished. Strangely enough, it was only then that she finally noticed the rather unavoidably large presence of police that seemed to spring out from nowhere, though Wan wan put that out of her mind. She had only hoped that he appreciated her island.

"We need to build roads," he said firmly, answering her in a rather roundabout way. "How are you to become a part of a modernized nation without having proper roads? And the railroads- if they aren't rusting or badly built, then they don't even exist!" The dirt and mud had been absolutely disastrous for his white uniform. Now he knew the practical reason why she never wore shoes. No matter, he didn't have to bother her any further about that particular subject because a paved road steaming in the midsummer sun would take care of the issue of bare feet.

"What is the need for roads? They are fine as they are," Wan wan said. "What is the use for railroads anyways? They are too troublesome and take too long to build. In the time it takes for people wait for a railroad to be built, they could have made the same journey a hundred times over on foot!" She had gone out of her way to show him some hospitality and try to please him to make up for the rude welcome she had given, and all he could do was find fault with her!

"What of schools and universities? You are content to let them forever remain ignorant and as uncivilized as savages, content to have them crawl around like animals in this age of advancement?"

"What good has learning done for any of them? No farmer needs to go to school to be able to work in the paddy fields, and in fact it would be a waste of time to even do that when they could be working in that same time!"

"I suppose you think it is fine to not have a sewage system either? Do you even care that your people are living in their own wastes like so many hogs?" he continued, trying to overlook her saucy outburst.

"What's wrong with that? It's also convenient for fertilizing crops! If they are blind enough to step in it, then it's their own fault, not mine."

Kiku could only gape at her terrible attitude. He hadn't noticed when they had stopped walking, but there she was, standing behind him looking as defiant as ever. She looked straight at him, and with her narrowed eyes, she dared him to strike her again as he did when they first met.

She wasn't sure if she was relieved or, strangely enough, disappointed when he kept his hands to the side and only shut his eyes and sucked in his breath. His fingers did not so much as twitch.

She didn't know that Kiku had told himself it would be the first and last time he would lay his hand on her with the intent to hurt her. She couldn't have known that he had sincerely hoped for a smooth transition, that he was genuinely interested in taking her in and nurturing her. Of course she couldn't, no one else had done so before him. He was just another stranger who looked to her home and saw the glory of conquest and the benefit of her rich natural resources, at least to her. He was deeply unsettled by the thought that she might be right. He refused to let her have her way with that.

"You don't know how to read." He had to divert the subject to something completely different; there was no point to keep arguing. She knew what she sorely needed improvement on, she was just too lazy and had no incentive to do it herself. No child actually wants to go through the pain of maturity, not at the price of giving up their freedom to run wild and do as they pleased without ever being held accountable. It would be even worse for her; she had severely delayed her own growth and would now have to mature at a breakneck pace for the sake of the millions of lives she represented.

"What?" she asked, first in confusion at the abrupt change in subject and then in great offense that Kiku had discovered her illiteracy. He was far sharper than she gave him credit for. Was her mystified wonder at his writing so obvious?

"China never bothered to teach you how to read, so you never learned. That's alright, I will teach you how." Strangely, he refused to address China as Wang Yao. Or perhaps not so strange, given that he denied even the claim that they were siblings.

Wan wan stamped her foot in exasperation. She had had enough of him commandeering her life and her home, never mind the fact that he had complete dominion over her. "Why are you doing all of this for me? I don't want any of it! Why can't you just leave me alone, like China did? You gave my people the choice to become Japanese or leave, so where is my choice? I never agreed to becoming your little sister, I don't even know you," she shouted at him, unsure of why she even said those things. "I put on these clothes to make you happy, brushed my hair and made myself clean and neat. I try to act Japanese to give you face. I sit quietly and follow behind you like an obedient little dog, and if you were as strong as you think you are you'd beat me like I was one too!"

Feeling that she had severely tried his patience to the breaking point, Wan wan turned and tried to run off before he really did hit her. In her haste, she'd forgotten that she had been wearing a kimono. Before she could take more than a few fast, forceful strides, she tripped on the garment that flapped between her legs. With her hands instinctively thrown before her to break the fall, she had not been injured. The hardwood floor felt cool against her flushed cheek, and she had half a mind to just lie there. She had humiliated herself enough in front of him.

Kiku's hurried footsteps vibrated in the wood, and she squeezed her eyes shut as he knelt down over her. "Mei-mei," he said in a subdued tone. He knew she liked being addressed as such. It was one of the few Chinese phrases she understood. Her body was limp as he gently wrapped his hands on her shoulders and pulled her onto her knees. Her eyes were still shut, even when she fell forward onto his chest.

Wan wan had screamed at him, tried to reveal the ugliest part of her childish nature to him to drive him away, and yet he still came forward. It had worked on Wang Yao to drive him away, why was it not working now? His gentle response confused her. She wanted to hate him, she wanted to have every reason to hate him and be released from his guardianship.

He was shocked at her proximity to him, and even more so at how she clung to the front of his robes. Her whole small frame shook as the loud sob that had been caught in her throat and finally broke through. Long, brown hair filled his nose with the sweet, powerful scent of the slender-tubed _yu lan hua_*** she had picked to bring into her room. Her small fists half-heartedly pounded his chest, and her tears of anger and frustration became a mourning wail for the end to her long childhood. Kiku fought the conflicting instincts to both push her away and to hold the little girl closer, and ended up making feeble movements to soothe her by rubbing her back. Her sobs only grew louder at his pathetic but well intentioned attempts.

She was but a little girl, after all. A little girl that had been neglected and allowed to act up and run wild to try to get the attention she craved but would never admit to wanting. However, Kiku was not naive enough to think that her sassy personality was a facade that hid a shy, sensitive girl. Oh no, he had seen enough of the way she acted when she thought he was gone to know that she had a fiery disposition that no amount of civility would ever be able to extinguish. The best he could do was to teach her to center herself and concentrate her temper into actually accomplishing something. Naturally she would fight him, if only in her mind, and naturally Kiku would fight back for her own good. She could cry to herself as much as she liked about him taking her freedom away, yet Wan wan proved herself that she did not have the mindset to modernize by herself. China certainly would not help her, he had enough trouble running just the mainland, a problem he has had for thousands of years. It left him, the experienced one who had wowed the world with his transformation, to do the same with his model colony.

After that day, Wan wan quietly accepted her time to grow up.

* * *

Yay, another chapter done! I was playing around with a new style of narrating**_- _**reviews please? Is it too confusing to be bouncing between her and Kiku?

*Pronounced 'guh guh', means "big brother" in Mandarin. I chose to use the Chinese word (Taiwanese is a dialect, so there is no different written form) to try to show her discomfort with learning a new language- the Taiwanese were forced to learn Japanese.

**For the history buffs, please know that I actually did try to find out whether or not Japanese people used fountain pens in the 1890s. I mean, it's just a _little_ bit cliche to have him **still **using a brush and ink to write official documents.

***A sketchy translation would be Chinese magnolias. Many people grow them in their yards for the pleasant scent, and taxi drivers in Taiwan used to always hang a whole clump of them on the rear view mirror.

-Factoid: With this chapter, I wanted to somehow portray the fact that Taiwan held multiple rebellions against Japan at the rate of about once per month shortly after Japan's army secured control of the island. They quieted down in 1902, and flared up again in 1907 and finally in 1930. The way they were put down may not have been exactly "gentle", but they certainly were compared to how China would later handle the issue. Hint hint.


	3. The Talk

Just a warning, this chapter makes reference to the female menstrual cycle and human reproduction. No vivid details or descriptions. And yes, the "talk" is from "Memoirs of a Geisha"; the far-fetched euphemisms and round-about way of explaining is just so perfect for a prudish male. Credit for inspiration with the egg goes to **Dontmezwitme**. If you're screamish about it, skip to the second and very last page break.

**_Note_**: Because this chapter and all of the rest beyond it involve historical events that are often considered controversial, remember that this is only my interpretation of events through a character. I am not directly condoning any actions, nor deliberately trying to make events seem not as serious. I am only trying to tell a story from the point of view from a flawed, and still somewhat naive and inexperienced young woman trying to find her place amongst two giants. Keep in mind that at this point in the story, Taiwan is still a **sheltered young child**.

* * *

Kiku slowly slipped his tea, keeping an eye on his student as she studied. It had been a struggle at first for her to even sit and listen to his lectures, and she'd thrown her brush down in disgust more than once. Wan wan at least had had enough sense to leave the ink alone, if only because she would have been the one cleaning it off of the mats. Wan wan hated calligraphy, and would snap at him saying that if he wanted to discover her character he'd have an easier time of it if he actually talked to her once in a while.*

If it wasn't the writing she disliked, it would be having to learn to speak Japanese. She'd often said that she had had enough of that nonsense grammar, and no one would die from being insulted if she didn't use a polite enough form of speech. Another favorite topic of hers was to remind him how senseless and arbitrary it was for one word to have multiple pronunciations. "You're smart enough to build factories and trains but you can't make scratches in the sand to give six different pronunciations six different words? Go look at how many different words Wang Yao can write and he's still using a hole in the ground as a toilet!" she'd snort. He suspected that she often purposely used the crudest, most crass form possible. These outbursts had been tolerated, and really it was no worse than any other reluctant child forced into schooling.

He had to admit that she performed admirably in making sense out of seemingly arbitrary drawings. No matter the struggle to sound out the words and to write them out herself, no matter the minor tantrums she had when her frustration temporarily bested her, she'd always returned a few hours later. Wan wan's pride was at stake, and she needed to rid herself of the shame of illiteracy. Of course, the luxurious clothes he offered as a reward for her diligence had a part in it as well. Even as she was a barefoot, half-wild girl she'd bothered to pick out unapologetically vibrant pink flowers to decorate her hair. When lectures about the importance of education failed, dazzling accessories would not.

She was really quite an ambitious individual, and actually had a voracious appetite for all types of literature. He supposed he could have casually slipped in an "I told you so", though she would have resented him greatly for it. She was part Chinese after all; she had the typical ego issues.

Wan wan's eyes widened in confusion and embarrassment. She startled Kiku by slamming her palms onto the low table and shooting up into a standing position. She looked about, as lost as Kiku was as to exactly what she was doing, and gave him a stiff bow and a flustered apology before excusing herself. He sat for a minute, unsure of what had happened and whether or not he should chastise her for leaving her lessons so abruptly.

Wan wan had closed herself in washroom, and in her haste she had nearly forgotten to put on the washroom slippers. She struggled to draw up the heavy, multi-layered fabric. Oh, she regretted now specifically choosing the grandest and most luxurious kimonos that Kiku offered to buy for her. She couldn't have known though, when she looked longingly at the intricate designs and vibrant colors and dared to touch the pricey, slippery fabric. How could she have known that she would find herself in a cramped shed trying to find out what the hell she'd felt- _blood_. Wan wan had heard the soft "_ta_!" of the blob of congealed blood hitting the floor, and immediately looked down.

The girl stood mesmerized. "I'm bleeding," she thought, allowing the phrase to bounce around in her mind. "I'm bleeding." She had no reason to be bleeding, so why was she? And why was it bleeding from _there_? Even in the semi-darkness of the shed, it had that unmistakable deep crimson color, and a distinct foul odor that made her crinkle her nose. Why was there blood?

"Mei mei, what's wrong?"

His voice, a mixture of concern and expectant dread, broke her from her morbid trance. The terror that had been suppressed now clawed its way up to clamp down on her heart. Her ears were filled with the rapid fire staccato. So at some point, she'd started saying it aloud. She might as well have just opened the door and shown him, she was so embarrassed he actually heard.

"Go away!" she said, sounding unnaturally shrill. "It doesn't have anything to do with you!"

"Mei, please." Kiku blushed furiously. Trying to explain it to her was bad enough. Trying to do that standing in front of the washroom with her inside? That constituted cruel and unusual punishment for the both of them.

"Just _go_ away!"

He stayed quiet, to compose himself to give the speech that, really, an older brother should never have to give.

Some time had passed, neither was sure exactly how long, before Wan wan finally spoke. "哥?" she practically whispered.

"It's alright, Mei." He had difficulty swallowing. He opened his mouth to speak again, but hesitated. Too embarrassed to actually ask a woman about the subject, he had prepared himself by reading dry medical journals, none of which gave advice as to how to broach the topic with the individual concerned.

* * *

The years that followed after their final argument about Wan wan's future were hectic. Her adopted brother worked at an ungodly pace, and she was often so overwhelmed that her understanding only came long after the initial bewilderment of all his new reforms. Kiku had been absolutely thorough in drawing out his plans; it was only to be expected of him. He had gone far beyond the roads, railways, and sewage system that Wan wan had vehemently accused of being frivolous additions. The farms transformed her island into an agricultural powerhouse that helped to feed and supply Kiku's people, the lifeline that allowed him to realize his own ambitions.

Her cities were improved and health clinics were built to finally contain the disgraceful prevalence of infectious diseases. Public schools were built and mandatory attendance policies were enforced to the point that Kiku really did follow through on giving her daily language lessons.

Of all the things he gave her and she grudgingly accepted, nothing came as close as the very last to permanently changing her island. She herself had held on to the position that her farming society would sooner use books as toilet paper. When the schools were built, she looked on in suspicion and was right in her conviction that Kiku was only using them to manage her population better. But oh, how quickly they took to it to their own advantage! Wan wan stood shamed as she watched their minds awaken and take to education and enlightenment as eagerly as she did; she had severely underestimated their potential. As intellectuals, they at least had the chance that they did not as crude, ignorant farmers to rise in society.

Wan wan could not make up her mind on what to think of Kiku's efforts. On the one hand, he was doing it for himself. Of course he would build railroads and improve her island; he needed a way to transport her resources and keep his subjects alive and thriving to farm for him. If he had not expected a return on his investment in her, he would not have bothered. She was his pet project, a point of pride for him when he showed off to European countries that he, too, was in on the trend of colonizing.

On the other hand, did the colonized not also benefit directly as well? Did they not enjoy the new prosperity and opportunities? No, not everyone did. Not the aboriginals, their own conditions did not improve much. But they improved in the end, didn't they? She could not say that all Kiku had done was take advantage of her and suck her island dry. It was not so clear cut as she wished it to be.

* * *

"Well you see, Mei mei, every girl has a cave," he began, having finally found an innocuous enough phrase. "This cave protects a pearl, an egg. When a girl becomes a young woman, she begins to experience week-long "high tides" in her cave on schedule with the moon because the egg has become rotten-"

"I'm going to lay a rotten egg?" she repeated, absolutely horrified.

"No, no, not exactly!" Kiku said quickly.

"But that was what you said. You said I have a rotten egg inside of me, and it's going to poison me!"

He sighed deeply, and took out the small satchel he'd kept tied at his waist. He thought about taking out the cloth for her, but immediately changed his mind. It was just too private, and she should be the only one to touch it. The poor girl didn't need to think about someone else, especially a man, handling her sanitary belt.

"Mei, just forget about what I said."

"You're going to let me die?"

"No one's dying. The apotheracist prepared something for you, and she asked me to deliver it to you." He was careful to let the girl know it was from a female to another female.

"It's not Chinese medicine, is it? I hate Chinese medicine, it's vile. I'd rather lay a rotten egg than drink more of that."

"Mei mei, just open the door and put it on."

She opened the door slightly, and her hand darted out to snatch the satchel from him. It only took common sense to figure out how to use the sanitary belt. The majority of that awkward wait was spent composing herself, as she had it in mind to never again look Kiku Honda in the eye. When she finally stepped out with her eyes firmly rooted to the ground, Kiku said nothing. It was understood that he would continue the talk in a more decent setting.

* * *

Kiku kept clearing his throat. Both were staring hard at their respective cups of tea, trying to will the moment to pass by itself.

"Mei mei, let me start over. As I said before, every woman has a cave, even when she is a young girl. When a woman becomes a child, a pearl- an egg, appears in her cave."

She was about to burst out with the rotten-egg business once more, and he hushed her.

"When the woman still does not have a husband, a "high-tide" carries this egg out of her cave at the end of every month. Because this "high-tide" comes from deep within the woman's body, it is red-colored and has a strange smell."

He was visibly relaxed after having finished. However, just as he dreaded, Wan wan still had further questions.

"Well what does having a husband do with the egg and the cave?" she asked.

Feeling that it was best to finish this discussion in one setting, Kiku Honda steeled himself. It wasn't just that he felt she was still young for that sort of talk; he himself was rather squeamish about the whole sordid business.

"Just as every woman has a cave, every man has an eel. Some eels enjoy exploring many caves, but they and their owners are always stricken with horrible, deforming diseases if they are liberal with themselves. Such eels can also spread their diseases to other caves! The only case where an eel should enter a cave, which is to say when a woman should allow a man's eel to enter, is when they are married." His face flushed red, and he looked like he was trying to bore holes into the table with his eyes. "This eel spits on the woman's pearl, and then the pearl transforms into a baby."

Wan wan was thoroughly confounded by all of this eel and eel's spitting talk. She found herself nodding blankly when Kiku said "Mei mei, you must never allow another eel besides your husband's into your cave! Promise me!" When she finally realized that it meant Kiku also had an eel that would spit on a pearl, she could have died from shame. How did he know about this? Did his eel already spit on a woman's pearl? Was he riddled with disease?

"No!" he loudly declared, knowing from her expression what she was currently thinking.

"I'm- I'm going to my room now," Wan wan mumbled softly. She looked dazed, and stumbled slightly. Kiku slumped when he heard her footsteps fade away. Really, an older brother had never have to give this talk.

* * *

"Kiku!" she yelled some early morning. "Wait, no! Kiku, stay outside!"

"Mei mei, make up your mind."

"Tell the house maid to let me borrow her robes."

"What in the world are you planning?"

"Kiku, please."

He had learned early to oblige to her minor requests; her "monthly tides" often brought irrational moods and actions that he would like very much to avoid. The house maid was as perplexed as he was. The maid's delighted squeal as soon as she entered the room gave him a headache. It had to be more of Wan wan's foolishness.

The maid had a secretive smile, and couldn't help from giggling as she came out. She bowed deeply, and said "I present the lady of the house."

Wan wan gingerly shuffled out of the room with her eyes demurely downcast. She then boldly looked up in a thoroughly unfeminine manner. Her confident grin at widened at Kiku Honda's utter disbelief. "It's quite acceptable to admit that I'm the most beautiful girl that'll ever be willing to talk to you," she spoke in a mock airy tone. She quite liked the new curves on her taller body.

His headache exploded into a spectacular migraine. He could only hope that she would honor her promise about the eel and the cave. In any case, he was not shy about using his ceremonial sword in case any suitors got pushy.

* * *

If you've made it this far, why not just spend all of 1 minute to review the story? Tell me if there's something that you think could be improved. If you're not comfortable with that, then at least tell me what I did right, so I can continue doing that! Thanks!

-Taiwan's physically 15 now.

*Chinese people believe that a person's calligraphy can reveal their character, personality, and integrity.

I find it fair to warn readers who are looking for TaiwanxJapan romance that it will not be a typical romance. Expect much ambiguity and frustration between the characters. They'll have to deal with "well is s/he a relative or is s/he not?" as well as the consequences of WWII. Once more, this won't have a fairy tale ending but it won't be a letdown (I hope) for shippers.


	4. The Beginning

It's been a long time since I've put up a new chapter, so thank you all of my old readers for being patient. Thank you as well, to new ones who have given me encouragement to keep up with the story! I value all of your reviews, alerts, and favs, and I just hope I can continue to give you guys a good reading.

* * *

_"I understand the difficulty of forming a policy due to political infighting, but this must be decided soon!" That much he could tolerate. However, being detoured to several representatives of Japanese legislation, and not the individuals concerned, he could not. "Is she to be continued to be kept at a benevolent distance as a younger sister, or is she to be a bride? It will soon become unacceptably indecent to have her stay in the house and have her in limbo between the two. She is almost of marriageable age!"_

_Two representatives began to speak at once, but one spoke over the other with clear, assumed authority until his opponent silenced himself. "Colonial relations with Taiwan will continue as per the established policies of the Governor General of Taiwan and his Chief of Home Affairs," he stated._

_His apparent subordinate immediately protested. "It is the opinion of the Party President of the Rikken Seiyukai that the colonials be integrated into Japanese society."_

_"So that is the opinion of the man whose family steadfastly opposed the reforms and government that he is currently working for!" the first one countered. While his opponent struggled to find a reply, he took the chance to completely ground out any further objections. "This policy is based on that of the United Kingdom's, whose legacy as a colonial power cannot be ignored! The colonized population is genetically inferior to that of the mainland. The two should be kept separate as much as possible. That is to say, the uncultured barbarians have no place in Japanese society."_

_Kiku quickly ended the meeting before it devolved any further. If they could not decide on what to do with just one small island colony, how was he to be the role model to make up where China failed? _

* * *

Kiku blustered about the house. His visitor would soon arrive, and it was of the utmost importance to give a good showing. Mr. Arthur Kirkland was not just an individual he could venture to call a friend, but also a major political power whose connections could prove useful. He looked about anxiously, and his eyes set upon Wan wan attempting to arrange flowers. That girl! She was not yet a full adult and she was already trying to play the hostess. Of course, she would be wearing one of her more expensive kimonos. Price meant nothing to her.

"Mei, please. Can't you continue with that on the other side of the house?" he asked.

"This is already a corner of the house where no one comes. Would you rather I continue my work at the front gate? I'm not offending anyone's sensibilities. Ask the servants. Am I trying to insult our esteemed visitor?" There were only the two of them in the room. "No, I didn't think that was my intention at all," Wan wan replied without looking up. She continued to snip away at her arrangement.

"Don't be impertinent, Mei. This isn't someone who will play along with your 'mistress of the house' act." Wan wan froze for just a moment when the words left his mouth.

This time, her movements were less measured, less deliberate. Just as Kiku Honda was about to threaten her with a minor punishment, Wan wan gasped lightly in pain. Her shears had slipped and cut a finger. "It's nothing. Don't you have an important guest coming?" she said quickly. She had indeed cut herself on accident, though she held her hand delicately and winced in an exaggerated manner.

Kiku knew the childish game she was trying to play, and refused to take part in it. He left without a word. Wan wan stared at the space he had occupied moments ago, and then picked up her shears once more. She never was good at flower arranging; she preferred an unruly riot of bright colors and tumbling greens to simplicity and subtlety.

* * *

"Mr. Kirkland, welcome!" "Welcome, Mr. Kirkland!" The servants very nearly groveled to give face to the host. The host himself greeted his guest warmly, immediately apologizing for being unable to give a grand reception. The young mistress was noticeably absent.

Kiku quickly swept his guest away, hoping to lessen the chances of encountering Wan wan and whatever horrifying rudeness she may have planned to unleash to spite him. Along the way, he continued to apologize for the grand dinner which must surely be inferior to Mr. Kirkland's own meals. There could be no way that Kiku Honda's poor shack with gleaming wooden floors could possibly compare to a Western home that Mr. Kirkland is more accustomed to.

However, Kiku nearly stopped midsentence when he saw Arthur pause. His guest was trying to peer into a room whose door was left just slightly open, enough to catch the eye and make the mind curious. Arthur thought he saw a girl snipping away at flowers. Her barely raised eyes met his, and he was the first to dart his away. He didn't remember if Kiku Honda had any siblings. A servant? No, too well dressed by far. What a strange girl. She was just slightly too young for him to comfortably crack a lewd joke about later on in the evening, so he kept silent.

* * *

Arthur slowly swirled the wine in his glass, a redundant action since a decanter had been provided. Kiku Honda had truly taken Westernization seriously. The wine was not only decent, but also actually complimented the meal. Kiku's eagerness to learn had touched him enough that he muddled through more than a few dinners with wine that he didn't need Bonnefoy to know was absolute rotgut.

"I trust you've heard of Belgium," Arthur said after the laughter and catching up had subsided. He felt uneasy, dishonest, really, about waiting for an appropriate amount of time to pass to reveal the true purpose of his visit.

Of course Kiku Honda had. He had also heard of Mr. Kirkland's ultimatum to Germany.

"And you still remember the terms and conditions of our treaty."

Yes, he did. When he received word of Mr. Kirkland's planned visit, he already anticipated what his friend would ask of him.

"Then it should be no surprise to you that I request military assistance against Germany's aggression."

"I will commit the full force of my military," Kiku said, nodding.

Arthur looked for signs of reluctance or fear, but Kiku was unexpectedly calm. It was not that his face was unreadable, but as though he took the call to action as a favor too insignificant to devote true thought to. Truthfully, Kiku did feel numb; it was unwise to be excited before his goals were actually realized. Sooner or later he was bound by his word to ally his military with England. He knew Arthur was suspicious of Germany's growing foothold in China, and it benefitted both that he be the one to put an end to it. The United States of America already loudly declared its neutrality, but he would not waste this opportunity. The influence it would bring to him, power that was practically bestowed upon him, it was exactly what Kiku needed.

* * *

Wan wan fidgeted as she waited for Arthur Kirkland to finally leave. It may be unseemly for the young mistress to eavesdrop on the master's dinner conversations, but no one ever said it was wrong to hear it second hand from the servants.

Of course Kiku would absolutely insist on following through with all of the polite social rites. As soon as Kiku was a safe distance from the door, she pounced. "You're going to fight in a war?" she said, immediately reproaching herself mentally for being only able to state what was obvious.

The man gave her a casual glance. "I thought you no longer cared about the importance of this visit?"

"What will happen to you? Who are you fighting? Why do you have to involve yourself in something that doesn't concern you?" Wan wan babbled. She knew it was bold and beyond her place to make such demands, but his lack of strong emotion about the matter strangely compelled her to act like a fool to compensate.

He waited for the question that she did not ask, yet, he assumed: _What will happen to me?_ However, he found only her genuine distress.

"This will not be like China; unlike 'him,' I will not fail," Kiku said, with a heavy tone that indicated that there was to be no further discussion. Wan wan was silenced by how easily he identified the crux of her worries, but even then his confidence only made her more uneasy. It was not the first time she had heard a proud man's refusal to consider the possibility of defeat, no matter how much Kiku denied any connection.

* * *

She had now become so accustomed to seeing him in military uniform that it was strange to see him dressed otherwise. When Kiku first put it on in his official declaration of war against Germany, she'd blushed at the figure he cut. He was powerful, confident, and _different. _Wan wan had felt that she must be something wicked and depraved to keep stealing glances at him, but the change in him both awed and intimidated her. It was a reminder that he, the mild mannered and gentle one who strained himself to humor her, was the same person who gave China his scar. This Kiku Honda was not someone who would tolerate her outbursts and disrespectful conduct.

He had to have noticed the way she began to shrink from him, for why else would he have bothered to suspend his endless planning and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival? He even brought pomeloes himself this year to share with her, though he drew the line at mooncakes: that was _his_ tradition, and have yet to make an appearance in the countless Mid-Autumn Festivals he'd celebrated since the two cut ties.

Wan wan looked over to Kiku. On a holiday when families gather to feast, it was once more only the two of them. However, she reminded herself that in the middle of a war, the Great War, she heard it being called, that Kiku found the time to come at all was something to be grateful for. He had long since stopped personally tutoring her, and she saw more of him on accident than at meal times. When they were able to interact, she found him more quiet, tense, as though he were continually poised for action but could not yet do so. Wan wan's light-hearted banter, meant to break through his tension, only seemed to have no effect at best, and irritate him at worst. Strangely, when at first she was afraid of his defeat, she was now wary of his growing power and the change it was producing in him, even when he did not win every battle.

"Have you heard of the Moon Maiden, Chang'e?" she asked. They had been sitting in silence for at least an hour, with the Tsukimi dango untouched and only her share of the pomeloes eaten. She did not wait for his reply to continue speaking. It had taken her that hour to build the nerve to speak; too much internal struggle had gone on for her to not go through with it.

"It really starts with her husband, the legendary archer Hou Yi. When ten suns suddenly appeared in the sky and threatened to scorch the earth, he shot them down one by one until only one remained. For his great heroic acts, he was made king. However, the power he received slowly corrupted him, until he was no longer the great man who saved countless lives, but a cruel and greedy despot." Wan wan took a quick glance at Kiku, who had his eyes closed and the vaguest hint of a smile on his lips.

"After ruling for many years, Hou Yi began to fear death. Perhaps he was partly motivated by the knowledge that he would pay for his crimes in the afterlife, partly because he found it impossible to imagine an end to his reign. He searched relentlessly for the Immortal Elixir, and finally found it in the form of a single pill meant to be split between himself and his wife. However, Chang'e, helpless to prevent her husband's brutal violence, refused to allow his reign to continue forever. As soon as she could, she swallowed the whole pill so that none was left for Hou Yi.

"Hou Yi caught her, but by then he could do nothing. In his anger, he chased her and she tried to jump from the window. Because she had taken double the dose, she began to rise into the air instead of plummeting to the ground. Though this only angered Hou Yi further, even he could not bring himself to try to shoot his wife down. Chang'e eventually flew to the moon, immortal and lonely but successful in sparing her subjects."

Wan wan blinked quickly, and continued to stare into the Harvest Moon as she did the whole time she told the story.

It was different from what Kiku was told of the Moon Maiden. He could imagine _him_ warning the young Wan wan before handing her over, trying his best to poison her against Kiku. So _he, _bitter about his own inability to fend for himself, would rather hope for Kiku's downfall than take the same steps to claim power.

He repeated his words from long before. "This will not be like China; unlike 'him,' I will not fail."


End file.
